Hyde Library and Technical School

Hyde Library was originally Hyde Technical School and Free Library. It opened in 1897 replacing the former Mechanics Institute.

This Architects drawing was found in an old book at St George's Church.

PROPOSED NEW TECHNICAL SCHOOLS

"It is proposed to build, at a no-distant date, new TECHNICAL SCHOOLS near to the Public Baths in Union Street. The probable cost, including furnishing, will be £12,000. Towards this expenditure, subscriptions have been promised to the extent of £3,500, a grant has been offered by the County Council, while a further grant has been made by the Science and Art Department in London. The deficit, £5,000, is being raised by a Loan on Corporation Security, to be repaid out of a rate at one pebby in the pound. Plans of an elaborate building have been prepared. Above we give an illustration of the exterior of the Schools, from which it will be inferred that, to Hyde at any rate, the edifice will be a thing of beauty.

The need of these Schools has arisen through the impetus given to Technical Instruction by the Technical Institution Acts of 1889-91. At present there is an insufficiency of accommodation for the several classes held, while there is a demand for other classes that cannot be met. Classes, for example, meet in the Mechanics' Institute, the British Schools, and the Town Hall, in rooms by no means adapted for the purpose. When the new Schools are completed this defect will be remidied, and additional instruction given in Cookery, Laundry, Manual Instruction, &c."

Although the library as built was not quite as grand as the architect's drawing it wasn't far short.

The old public baths building has been long gone and now with library services been removed to the Town Hall the building is under threat from a council now based in Ashton which has a wide "programme to reduce the number and costs of Council-owned buildings. Tameside Council's priority is to save services over buildings in its challenge to meet £142m Government funding cuts to its budget." They have already done it in Denton, now they want to do it in Hyde.

Update: Hyde Library closed on Monday 12th January 2015. The library service in the Town Hall opens in February,

See also Hyde Daily Photo.

Hyde Library

The foundation stone at Hyde Library reads:
THIS STONE
WAS LAID BY ELIZABETH WIFE OF
THOMAS ASHTON OF HYDE
ON THE 3rd DAY OF JULY
1897

It was built on the site of the former Mechanics Institute

A second stone reads:
THIS BUILDING WAS OPENED BY
LETITIA MARY
WIDOW OF WILLIAM MARK ASHTON
OF HYDE
FEBRUARY 18TH 1899

A view of the side of the library can be found on Hyde Daily Photo.

Current council plans involve moving the contents of the library to the Town Hall and then selling off the building.

An e-petition opposed to those plans can be found at http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/62460.

A contribution to Ruby Tuesday;
Our World Tuesday;
signs, signs and
Weekend Reflections.

Mechanics Intitute

Hyde Mechanics Institute was founded in 1850. It was built on the former site of Hyde Lane Independent Chapel, which was purchased by Mr. Benjamin Goodfellow (the founder of an engineering works on Mottram Road), and converted into a Mechanics' Institute and then generously handed over to trustees. Classes for teaching elementary subjects were held regularly every winter. There was also a reading room and a small library attached, lectures were given at intervals by noted men.

The old building was succeeded in 1861 by the building shown above. Part of the expense of the new building was met by a public subscription and a series of Penny Readings helped to wipe off the debt of £1,200 with which the building opened. The Mechanics' Institute played an important part in the development of old Hyde, particularly in the education of general knowledge among the working classes. In 1894 it was transferred to Hyde Corporation, and became the precursor of the Technical School and Library.

More information can be found on Hyde Cheshire.

The present building was opened in 1897, see Hyde Daily Photo.

J & T Fowden - Undertakers on Hamnet Street

I found this old advert in a book. It must date from the 1890s as a notice in the London Gazette [pdf file] dated 28th June 1901 states

NOTICE is hereby given, that the Partnership heretofore subsisting between us the undersigned, James Fowden, of 57, Brook-street, Hyde, in the county of Chester, Funeral Undertaker, and Thomas Fowden, of 3, Hamnett-street, Hyde aforesaid, Funeral Undertaker, carrying on business as Funeral Undertakers at 3, Hamnett-street, Hyde aforesaid, under the style or firm of "J. and T. Fowden," has be«n dissolved by mutual consent as and from the 24th day of June, 1901. All debts due to and owing by the said late firm will be received and paid by the said Thomas Fowden, who will continue to carry on the said business at the same address in his own name only.—Dated this 24th day of June, 1901.
JAMES FOWDEN.
THOMAS FOWDEN.

The water board were recently digging a hole outside but I don't know how deep they dug.

You can view the hole on Hyde Daily Photo and the roadworks on Hyde DP Xtra.

Hyde War Memorial Trust

A new website has just come online. The Hyde War Memorial Trust website has been set up to document the 710 men of Hyde who perished in the Great war of 1914-1919 (when the treaty of Versailles was actually signed). In time, it will contain a wealth of information relating to the men, the monument and the country park.

One of the first additions to the site is a copy of the original 1921 unveiling souvenir brochure.

The Annals of Hyde

Thomas Middleton's book The Annals of Hyde, published in 1899 is now available for download in various formats incluing PDF from the University of California Library.

This brief extract recalls the early origins of the town.

The earliest references to modern Hyde are contained in Aiken's "Forty Miles Round Manchester," published in 1795, and in a History of Cheshire written 20 years later, Aiken, speaking of this district, says :

Near the commencement of the Eastern Horn of Cheshire, which runs up into the wild country bordering on Yorkshire and the Peak of Derbyshire, is Hyde Chapel, or, as it is now called, Gee Cross. The chapel is a Dissenting place of worship. About 25 years ago there was only one house besides; now the place looks like a little town, and forms a continued street of nearly a mile; near it is Red Pump Street, a new village lately built by Mr. Sidebotham.

In a work entitled "Cheshire; or, Original Delineations :Topographical, Historical, and Descriptive of that County: the result of personal survey by E. W. Brayley and J, Briton, published in 1818, this passage occurs:

Hyde Chapel, or Gee Cross as it is now generally denominated, is a small village which obtained its primary name from a chapel for Dissenters, which, with a solitary house, were the only structures here till within these 40 years. The place now resembles a small town, and the houses range along each side of the road for nearly a mile; near it is a new milage lately built and called Red Pump Street.

It is noteworthy that the above writers make no mention of either town or village of Hyde by the present name.

A map of the Environs of Mottram-in-Longdendale, which accompanies Aiken's book, gives the names of such familiar places as Hyde Hall, Hyde Chapel, Godley Green, Gibraltar, Smithy Fold, Newton Green, Newton Hall, and Harrop Edge, but beyond the location of Red Pump Street no trace of Hyde is found. The name Red Pump Street (which was given to a row of, cottages built by Mr. Hegginbottom, and not by Mr. Sidebotham, as Aiken states) was the name by which modern Hyde was first known. Later, we find the name of Hyde Lane (the principal road from Red Pump Street to Gee Cross) used to designate the growing village. Finally, with the increase of the population, the name of the township seems to have become generally used.

Old Hyde Wordle

Just for fun, here is a recent Old Hyde wordle.

North Cheshire Herald Offices 1910

The North Cheshire Herald & Hyde & Glossop General Advertiser was founded by George Booth in 1853.

From 1860 it was edited and printed on a steam printing press in Hamnett Street.

In the 1930s it changed its name to the North Cheshire Herald & Hyde Reporter. At various times separate editions were printed for Longdendale and for Marple, Bredbury & Romily.